All I Really Want For Christmas
by forensicsfan
Summary: Someone is determined to see that Sara has a Merry Christmas. This is a little Christmas gift to my fellow Snickers. NS


**Disclaimer:** I don't own them, I didn't create them, and I don't profit from them, however, I lift an eggnog latte in their honor for creating such a wonderful show.

**Author's Note:** This little bit of Snickery Christmas Fluff is dedicated to Ashley who so graciously lent me George to help me recover from my collision with the buck. Merry Christmas, I hope you find him in your stocking (as opposed to your stockings) or under your tree with a sprig of mistletoe.

* * *

It was just another Christmas in Las Vegas and the glitz factor had seemed to step it up a notch for the flood of tourists hitting the Strip and a round of slots rather than face whatever form of disfunction their family had to offer. Surprisingly, the lab had been rather slow and given no high profile, pressing cases, it gave the lab techs the opportunity to play a few 'reindeer games' and sneak some of the endless Christmas cookies that had made their way into the break room. 

Paperwork was not exactly the way Sara Sidle had envisioned spending the day before Christmas Eve; she had hoped to take a few days off and head up to Colorado to dust off her skiing skills, even if it was alone. She had made an early resolution to not wait around for a social life to grow up around her and since she'd come to the conclusion that Grissom was never going to move past the end of his nose when it came to whatever feelings he had for her; she was going to blaze a new trail.

"You'd think someone would at least shoot their mother-in-law this time of year." Sara was muttering under her breath as she delved into the third stack of reports, not noticing her coworker, Nick Stokes sauntering in.

"Well, Merry Christmas to you too, Sar." Nick couldn't hide the smile in his voice as he plopped himself down in a chair opposite her.

"Don't tell me that you're enjoying being stuck in the lab all night." She smirked at him, trying to keep from smiling as Nick winked at her.

"Oh, I didn't say that, but there could be worse ways to spend an evening...take that mother-in-law you were referring to." Nick teased.

Sara looked at him for a long moment and then she quirked an eyebrow as she considered why he was sitting there at all. "How come you didn't go home for Christmas this year?" Certainly since she'd known him, he'd always flown to Dallas to spend the holidays with his large family.

A sad sort of smile flitted across his face. "I guess I didn't want to get fussed over." His smile spread into an impish grin as he regarded her. "Besides, this way I can make sure _you_ have a Merry Christmas."

Sara was flattered that he even cared, but she wasn't sure how he was going to make that happen; she couldn't really remember a Christmas that felt happy ever. "And how are you planning to do that?"

"Well for starters, we're all coming over to your place after shift for breakfast." Nick said matter-of-factly.

He said it so convincingly that all Sara could do was sit there with her mouth gaping open; her apartment was no where near ready for an impromptu Christmas party. Before she'd had a chance to say anything, Nick had winked at her again and risen from the seat he was in before disappearing as quickly as he had come. The whole exchange had left Sara feeling more than befuddled and distracted her enough the rest of the shift that she really didn't mind getting stuck doing paperwork.

It wasn't until she was home alone that she wondered what exactly Nick had up his sleeve, and if he was really serious. Part of her wanted to call him and find out what in the world he was thinking, inviting himself over on Christmas, and part of her just wanted to cry that she felt so damn lonely that she had no where else to be.

A soft knock sounded on her door and she went to answer it expecting to find Nick on the other side of it. To her surprise, she found Catherine carrying bags of food and several that looked suspiciously like gifts. "Hey, Catherine, Merry Christmas."

"Just show me where I can find your oven and I'll get this going." Catherine glanced around and then headed in the direction of Sara's small kitchen.

"Where's Lindsey?" It occurred to Sara that being with her daughter on Christmas was where Catherine normally would be.

"She's with my mother doing some last minute shopping and I was told specifically that I wasn't allowed to come." Catherine smirked as she preheated Sara's oven.

Another knock sounded at the door, and one by one the CSIs drifted in until the only one that wasn't there was Nick. Sara felt disappointed and she had to question exactly why that was when everyone else that made up her work family was there.

The aroma of Catherine's breakfast creation was wafting through the apartment and Warrick and Greg were in the midst of a debate over which team was going to make it to the Super Bowl and Grissom was leafing through a forensics journal when another knock sounded at the door.

Sara couldn't help but smile as she opened the door to reveal Nick hauling a gangly Christmas tree behind him. "You finally made it." She felt relief as well and she realized that she had really been looking forward to spending Christmas Eve with him.

"Do you know how hard it is to find a real Christmas tree in Vegas on Christmas Eve?" Nick was grinning ear to ear at Sara as he realized she seemed to be having a good time. "I figured that you probably didn't have a tree."

"No, I don't...well, I didn't, but I do now." Her smile had widened. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He tugged the tree in behind him and glanced around to see where a good place to set it up would be. In hardly any time at all, he, Warrick and Greg had the tree up while Grissom kept giving them direction as to which way to adjust it so that it was standing up straight until Sara pointed out that the trunk was lopsided to begin with.

"Maybe we should eat." Catherine had a smug smile on her face as she pulled her breakfast casserole out of the oven and began to dish it up. There were smiles all around as they devoured the food and then one by one they each left to go home and get some sleep, or buy last minute Christmas gifts.

Only Nick was left and he turned to Sara with a soft smile. "I guess we should decorate your tree or Santa won't bring you anything for Christmas."

Sara snickered. "I guess we should, but all of my decorations are stuffed in the back of my hall closet." Despite her feeble protest, they managed to get the box out and start stringing up lights and hanging ornaments on her tree. When it was all done, they sat back to admire their handiwork.

Nick studied the tree. "Something's missing." He furrowed his brow as he glanced around the room, and then after pulling himself up from her couch, he went over and flipped off the overhead lights leaving the room in the soft warm glow from the strings of lights on the Christmas tree. "Now that's more like it." He settled himself on the floor, stealing a pillow from the sofa before stretching out next to the tree and glanced up at her. "You really need to see it from down here."

Sara looked at him a bit quizzically, but she complied and lay down next to him on the floor near the tree, her head resting on the other end of the large pillow. "Ok, what am I supposed to see?"

"Watch the lights." Nick sounded like a little boy; so eager for Santa to come that he just couldn't help but sound excited and he reached for Sara's hand giving it a squeeze.

Sara couldn't help but giggle, but as she watched the light flash on and off and how the pattern kept changing on the ceiling, she couldn't help but smile. She was very conscious of the fact that Nick was still holding her hand as she glanced over so she could tell him how glad she was that he'd invited everyone over, and how much she appreciated his thoughtful gesture, but as she looked at him, she realized that he had fallen asleep under the tree.

Sara let out a sigh and felt a smile stealing over her face as she realized that no matter what else Santa brought she already had what she wanted for Christmas right there under her tree.

_**The End**_


End file.
